Door slam muffler



Oct. 17, 1950 B, R 2,526,467

DOOR SLAM MUFFLER Filed June 24, 1947 FIIL. l

H //v VEN TO B LV BEN L. FRY

Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNlTED"STATES PATENT OFFKIE DOOR SLAM MUFFLER Ben L. Fry, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Itsa Mfg. 00., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri 7 Application June 24, 1947, Serial No. 756,673 7 1 Claim. (01. 1686) My invention relates to buffers broadly, but more particularly to such devices that are intended to be afilxed to doors and the like so as to mufile the noise of. slamming, caused by the door striking against the jamb with which it cooperates.

This invention has among'its objects the production of such a device that will be extremely simple to make and apply, relatively low in cost, of few parts, long-lasting, neat and attractive in appearance, and which will be otherwise efficient and satisfactory for use for the purposes intended. 7

One of the principal objects of my invention is to so construct a door slam muffler of the kind described, that it will include a sponge-rubber cushion insert as the element to absorb the shock of impact with, the door in the closing.

movement of the latter, and which will be compressed thereby forsubstantiallythe complete depth or thickness of'said cushion. H

' Another object of my invention is to provide a retainer or holder for said coinpressibly resilient cushion, for mounting at some point 'on the door jamb so as to insure that the door will strike againstsaid cushion in closing, said holder permitting said cushionto be compressed throughout the entire body thereof.

A further object of my invention is to so construct' the holder or retainer of said cushion, in

the form of 'a channel element, wherein said cushion will be received snugly between the side flanges of said element but will at the same time be a guide to permit the cushion to be compressed toward the bottom or seat of said channel and guide said cushion as the latter resiliently expands or retracts to normal position from its compressed form, the flanges of said guide element permitting the required freedom of bodily movement of said cushion in so doing.

An added object of my invention is to provide a cushion holder of the kind described, for mounting the muifler to engageably cooperate with the door and whereby a predetermined thickness of cushion projects beyond said holder, so that the free edges of said holder will act as an abutment to engage the door to limit further compression of the cushion.

A still further object of my invention is to so construct a device of the kind described, that the rubber cushion will project for only a minor portion of its depth beyond the free edges of said holder, so as to constantly insure a true path of movement of the cushion toward its seat in said holder, on compression, and minimizing 2 the possibility of transverse spreadingof the cushion in compression.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described,"'and the uses mentioned, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, as will be more clearly pointed outin the claim hereunto appended.v v

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinationof parts herein shown and described, and as will be more clearly pointed out hereinafter. I

In the drawings, wherein like reference char, acters represent like or corresponding parts throughout the views, I

Figure 1 is a perspective View of. a portion of a swinging door and of the jamb that cooperates therewith, showing one of my devices mounted in placethereon; '1 i I Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional detail,

;- ,showing the door in its closed position against the jamb; and v I I Figure 3 is a perspective View of one of such muffler devices ready for mounting in place.

Referring more particularly to .the drawings, wherein I' have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown a portion of "a door I; of any size, shape and construction, although the one shown is a screen doorflfAs', usual, such a door may seat or close against a jamb 2 of the enclosing framework, ,and only that edge of the door that swings open and closes is illustrated, for the sake of convenience and clarity. f i f When such doors are closed forcibly, either by hand or by means of some sort'of a spring or other mechanical closer, not shown, th'ere is usually sufificient noise arising therefrom to cause, irritation and annoyance to those close, by, and r'nufllers, buifers or the like havebe'en interposed between the elements that 'forcibly-engage one another, and my improved formof such a device will now be setforth.

An elongated holder, retainer or guide element in the form of a channel-member with a pair of spaced apart side flanges 3-3 connected by a bottom wall 4 is made of sheet metal or some other suitably stiff and sturdy material, preferably non-rusting, as of aluminum or the like.

Apertures 5 are formed through the pair of opposed flanges to receive the fastening screws E whereby the holder may be aflixed at the desired location, along the jamb 2. One or more of such holders may be used, as the need arises. In mounting the holders, care should be taken that the free edges of said flanges thereof terminate approximately flush with the striking face of the jamb, so as to insure proper closing of the door.

An elongated strip of some highly compressible, resilient material, such as sponge rubber or the like, 1, of a length corresponding to that of the holder, is seated in each such holder, the width of said cushion insert '1 being approximately equal to the spacing apart of said pair of flanges 33, so that said insert is compressible for substantially its full depth and length into the holder,-

with the side flanges snugly engaging the side walls of said insert and acting as guides in the wardly' beyond or" above the freeedges of said flanges.

Openings 8 may be provided through said cushions'so as to permit said screws 6 to pass through said flanges and screw into the material of the lamb itself.

As previously mentioned ,.the holders are aflixed to the jamb so that the terminal edges of the flanges are approximately flush Withthe doorstriking face ofthe jamb, whereby'there is a predetermined height of cushion projecting therebeyond, in the direction to receive the striking face of the door.

Now, when the door moves toclosed position, itsffree edge strikes against the projectingface of the cushion and'compresses'the latter throughout its body,v except immediately between the screws and the bottom of the channel element, but as this portion of the cushion is so extremely small in proportion to the body of the whole cushion, it can be said with fair accuracy, that the-whole body of cushion is compressed The cushion is pressed toward the bottom of the chanriel element, to firmly seat thereagainshand substantially the whole body of cushion is compactedt'oward said'seat with the exception of those zones of the cushionbetween th screws and" the bottomwall 4 ofthe channel.

Hence, it is seen that said element forming the holder, does not interfere with the compressionor expansion ofthe cushion, either in. compres sion or in retraction to projectediposition and therefore the holder is a true guiding element andthere is'little or no tendency of transverse spreadingof'the cushion in-its movement.

With such manner ofsubstantially free compressibility of the cushion, only the minor portion need be extended beyond the flange edges, and such a cushion will last for an unusually long time without requiring replacement.

The extent of compression of the cushion is limited by said pair of flanges, because when the door strikes against the free edges of said flanges, the latter act as a stop or abutment for further compression of the cushion.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact form,

- arrangement, construction and combination, or

uses herein shown and described, except as lim ited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, and by the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters: Patent is A buffer for placement between a door and its jamb, saidjamb having a door engaging surface, said' buffer comprising an elongated channel element having spaced elongated flanges andadapted to be applied to said jamb so that the free edges ofits spaced flanges oppose the deer and are in the plane of the door engagin'g'surface of the jamb, a cushion formed of highly compressi ble material and heldbetwe'en said 'spaced'flanges in snug engagement therewith to guide said cushion du'ring' compression into said channel, said flanges being co-ext'ensive with the major portionof. the width and length of said cushion whereby the outer edge of said cushion will project a predetermined distance beyond the free edge thereof into the space between said channel flanges, whereby further movement of the door will be limited by engagement with the free edges of said channel flanges and the'door engaging surface of the jamb.

BEN L. FRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the" file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name I Date 868,200 Luca's' Oct. 15, 7 1,226,442 A'tWOOd May 15, 1917' 1,835,775 Hay 1360.8, 1931 

